Literary Analysis Of Voices In The Park By Anthony Browne

1960 Words4 Pages

A children book is an extremely substantial and significant form of literature. It educates, affects and amuses at the same time. Although its main audience are the small children, the majority of adults in fact enjoy this type of literature as much as children do. This can be explained by the capacity of children literature to deal with great themes and topics that are too large for adult fiction. (Philip Pullman) For its great importance, the style and technique by which it is produced, is a major concern for both of the authors and critics. One technique has a particular impact in the children book, that is to say, illustration. Bearing the visual nature of children in mind, we understand that their books should be delivered with …show more content…

It has four distinct narrative voices, which are highlighted by each voice having a specific font. All of the children and their parents are given apparently simple voices. However, their voices in fact are extremely complex. Each voice explores each of the character's different feelings and traits. The most essential part of this story are the illustrations which are postmodern and surreal ones. In the illustrations the landscape are distorted, and the adults and children are portrayed like themes. The illustrations change to reflect the characters' attitude and the font of the text changes with each character to mirror to some degree their social status. The father and daughter, who are obviously from a poorer area, have slanted, messy, somewhat obtrusive text. The shades of color in the different characters' illustrations give a heavy impression. It surprises from the mother's standpoint, where everything seems to be regular and mundane. Nevertheless, once it shifts to the father's standpoint, the pictures become dark, dull, dirty, and more expressive. The little girl's viewpoint was very bright and animated, while in the little boy's viewpoint everything appeared bigger than him or distant. As for the picture in which the boy and girl were sitting on the bench, separated by the lamp post, in reality mirrors the way by which the two children perceive the world. As for the boy the world is dark and isolated, while the girl on the other hand perceive the world as a bright, happy place. the illustrations in Voices in the Park stimulate the readers to think deeply and to wonder about the contained details. For instance the fact that the father in the second voice has human hands, however he has not a human face challenges the reader to ask questions and to resolve the meaning of the story. Another example is an illustration shows a

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